title: Improving visit cycle time using patient flow analysis in a high-volume inner-city hospital-based ambulatory clinic serving minority New Yorkers.
abstract: Patient waiting time and waiting room congestion are quality indicators that are related to efficiency of ambulatory care systems and patient satisfaction. Our main purpose was to test a program to decrease patient visit cycle time, while maintaining high-quality healthcare in a high-volume inner-city hospital-based clinic in New York City. Use of patient flow analysis and the creation of patient care teams proved useful in identifying areas for improvement, target, and measure effectiveness of interventions. The end result is reduced visit cycle time, improved provider team performance, and sustained patient care outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York, USA.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Balavenkatesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kanna
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014850:Waiting Lists